A little excerpt I wrote for an online magazine a few years back.
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TRENT SEVERN WATERWAY, LAKE ONTARIO TO GEORGIAN BAY
Best advice for traveling the Trent system is to stay tied up on weekends, travel during the week. There is so much boat traffic in weekends that it can be stressful in the locks, not to mention the wait you might face idling in front of a lock waiting for the lock master to give you clearance to enter. When I have travelled the system, I have never been in a rush and basically ran at trawler speed. I routinely do the stretch from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe (41 Locks) in 4-5 days. The itinerary below is based on that mindset and speed. That is also entering on a Monday.
In Trenton, make sure you fuel and provision here. There is no fuel from this point (for big boats) from here until Buckhorn.
Frankford day 1, lock 6 - running water and washrooms, and hydro hook up. Depending on what time you get into this system, this makes for a great place to end Day 1.
Campbellford, end of day 2 - nice stop, beautiful town lots of restaurants very old. Don't stop at the Campbellford lock, stop about 1NM south along the mooring wall on the west side. Lots of water. You can walk over the bridge and into the town. Town is a big tourist spot in the summer months, here is the town website :
http://www.visitcampbellford.com If you are stopping here, there is a chocolate store that is fantastic. Also, the family owned restaurant "The Riverview" has a great breakfast. I'm sure the rest of their food is also good, but we are always on the go again by lunch.
The stretch between Campbelford and Hastings can have a 6-8kt downstream current. Be conscious of this as you approach charted dangers. We were running with a sailboat under power in 2014 and he basically came to a dead stop meeting the current. We met him days later and he said he was barely making 1.2kts for that stretch.
Hastings, day 3, lock 18 - great little town, lots of restaurants and places to provision. It has claimed itself to be the "worlds best Perch fishing", and is very popular by the people fishing from shore. This is where people start stand and fish on the blue line for the lock (called the approach warf) which is an arrestable offense in Canada. They will move as you come into tie up. The current here will look daunting as you approach as the water control dam lyes on the south side of the lock, but when you make the turn to starboard for the approach warf you will see that it's sheltered by the south break wall.
After Hastings, next major event is Rice Lake. It's a big open lake so you can open it up if you like. No much to see once you are mid lake as you are too far from shore, but when you can see shore, there are some beautiful cottages. With Rice Lake, it is super important to stay on the Small Craft Route which is clearly marked. This is the only part of the lake where the water is navigable. I can't stress this enough here. There used to be a railway system that ran across the lake, that was built on raised bunkers. The bunkers are both cement and rock/wood. At some points, the bunkers are visible 2-3 feet on the other side of the markers. Stay in the middle, and it's clear cruising with loads of depth.
Once you cross the length of Rice Lake (about 12NM if My notes are correct), you will make your turn north and enter the Otonabee River. This is a cross between the Everglades and the River Nile. At the entrance to the river, and it's exactly that - a river, you will usually find a pile of 12-20ft fishing boats floating. It will appear as a traffic jam, but they will give way. From this point on, it's doubtful you will see another boat until Peterborough. This is another stretch with fast moving downstream current so be careful. It's a good 3hr trek north at 6kts and there is not much to see except trees and swamp.
Arriving at the first lock in Peterborough (19), and it's a small busy one. Once you make it through this lock, you will enter a small open water area and be approaching lock 21, the run before the lift lock.The Town Dock is due West of the mid way point here, identifiable by a large water fountain shooting it's water 20ft in the air.
Lock 21, the Peterborough Lift Lock is one of the most popular in the system it's the tallest tub style lock in the world and is an engineering marvel. This lock will not be operational in a thunderstorm due to its construction. I was ok with that, something about being 100ft up in a metal bucket full of water in a lightening storm doesn't appeal to me! Take lots of pictures here, but heed my next warning. Great place to stay as your next night.
Now, this is where your crew needs to be vigilant. From this lock onwards to Balsam Lake, you have the potential to have your vessel sunk by Pirates. I give this warning tongue and cheek of course. Experienced boaters in this area refer to the Asian community that rent houseboats as Pirates. To operate a boat in Canada, one must undertake a simple boaters course, pass an exam and get a license. This is true except for those how rent houseboats or any other rental boat. They only need to sign and put down a credit card. It's a joke, buts it's law. These houseboats are anywhere from 26ft to 50ft and are basically a park model trailer home on two or three aluminum pontoons powered by a small outboard or I/O. When I brought my 506 thru in 2013 we were held up for a lock where a rental houseboat was wedged sideways in the lock. The lock masters were actually down in the lock operating the boat trying to free it. In 2008 when I brought my 41C up, we watched as one of these pontoon boats came into the lock at 6kts, then full power reverse trying to get stopped - but ultimately smashed the aft cabin window out of a brand new Meridan aft cabin being delivered to her new owners by the dealer. If I'm making it sound bad, just ask the lock staff, they have stories.
The next nice overnight spot is Youngs Point, lock 27. It's a very small way, here, but a great sunset/sunrise. If I remember right, there are picnic tables and BBQs on the warf.
Once thru this lock, you will travel across Stoney Lake which has gorgeous Georgian Bay like scenery and lots of water. At the end of this lake, you will be entering Hell's Gate. You have to have your charts here, a pair of binos, and watch your markers - there are tons of rocks at or just below the surface here. A standard thought to keep though the entire system is not to follow the boat in front of you as they might not know where there are going. Despite this, it's a beautiful sight.
The next spot you must stop at is the lock at Buckhorn, lock 31. There is a fabulous restaurant lock side and a great little town to provision. It's a beautiful spot to people watch and meet other boaters. The restaurant attracts boaters from all through the system. It's beautiful and quiet here at night, and fairly sheltered.
When you push off from here and cross the length of Buckhorn, you need to follow the markers - mid lake there is a small clearly marked passage through several large rocks that are at the surface and just below. Typically, you will see a house boat on the rocks here. If they need help, assist by phone/radio only - their draft is so little, you won't be able to get close enough to get a line to them.
Once clear of here, it's a fantastic run with gorgeous scenery, traveling under the bridge at Gannon's Narrows (22ft clearance) and into Pigeon Lake. If the wind is blowing from the North, Pigeon can blow pretty choppy as its a quite shallow lake (15-20 feet).
Next must stop location is the town of Bobcaygeon. There is a great Marina in the north side of the canal called Gordon Yacht Harbour. They can handle probably up to a 40ft boat - which is massive thru these parts. The couple that owns this gem of a marina are fantastic and super friendly. If you prefer the lock wall for tie ups, this lock offers one of the best on system. It's on the south side across from Gordon Yacht Harbour. Tying up here you can walk the town, and offers great food and shopping. We ate at a restaurant just steps from the lock and had one of the best steaks ever.
Sturgeon Lake is next, nothing really spectacular or of interest here. Lots of water through the route, and a fairly boring stretch.
Fenelon Falls is the next lock, offers another great little town. If your planning on staying at the lock here - DON'T STAY AT THE BOTTOM OF LOCK, the current will rock the boat all night. Also, the sound of the traffic on the bridge and the falls will keep you up all night. The top of the lock offers shore power hookup, but only 30A. It's a beautiful lock and town.
Leaving Fenelon Falls, you will cross Cameron Lake and get into the Rosedale Lock (35). Thru this lock you will enter into Balsam Lake. It's the biggest so far along the system. Dead center of the lake is Grand Balsam Island. There are 2 routes here, you can go south around the island or north around it. I always go on the south side. Mainly because its sheltered from the mostly north wind, but there are also some monster cottages here. Balsam Lake has lots of water so nothing to worry about here.
This next part always makes me uneasy. Exiting Balsam Lake, you will travel down what locals call "the Ditch" towads Mitchell Lake. It's roughly 2NM long, 7-10ft deep - and maybe 20ft wide. On my 506 it seemed like the branches from the trees along this stretch were hitting my pilot house. You absolutely have to hail out on 16 long before you enter this stretch identifying the size of your vessel, you approximate time of arrival to the entry point, your direction of travel (DON'T SAY UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM - cottage boaters have no idea what this means! Say west or east, I can't stress that enough), and how long you expect to be in the ditch. You have to understand, if you meet a boat mid-channel - someone is reversing out. You cannot pass boats in this stretch. As it is man-made, the profile is like a "V", so the most (deepest) water is dead center and it changes drastically if you move off center. And on this note - if you call ahead as planned and meet someone else mid channel, they reverse. Don't try to be the nice guy and reverse, you will end up on the rocks. You can float around the mouth on the east side with a pair of binos and see if the stretch is clear, but don't be surprised if some idiot doesn't come screaming off the next lake and enters the west end of the ditch. On that point, if you are mid channel and see someone entering on the west side - blast the horn long and many times.
A perfect partner to "the Ditch" is Mitchell Lake. I have a hard time calling this a lake, rather it's a man made swamp. Average depths here are 6ft - you absolutely must stay in the markers which are (thankfully) clearly marked. I always cruise this lake (when I must be here) at the lowest speed possible. My 506 at 6kts was churning up mud the entire length. Mid lake you will travel under a highway bridge - it's an "old school" half moon type bridge and looks super low. My 506 at 21 feet went under early in the season with inches to spare, so it's not as bad as it appears.
Canal Lake is after and much like Mitchell Lake, the same rule applies - stay within the markers. When you enter this lake, you may say "is this a joke?" or "maybe we made a wrong turn"....you didn't - those are tree stumps in the water, and yes your depth alarm is going off. Outside of the markers you will come to a slow painful stop amongst thick, black mud. There is another bridge to travel under at the end of this lake, and lots of height.
Then you are back into the Trent River and approaching Lock 36. It's the 2nd largest "tub style" lock in the world - second only to Peterborough. It's a nice peaceful place to tie up, but nothing to see or do beyond the workings of the lock.
Just before lock 37 is a swing bridge. I think you have to phone call the number posted on the hut to have the staff from 37 drive up and swing the bridge. Once thru they will then drive back and meet you at lock 37.
This next stretch is easy but tedious. You will travel thru 4 locks one after another. Most likely, it will be the same staff helping you through all 4. If this is the case, they will try to make sure that each lock is open and waiting for you to enter as you leave the previous.
Now you are on Lake Simcoe, the largest and most beautiful lake on the system. The water is both warm and crystal clean here. Beware here, this is a very large lake, you can loose complete sight of land. It is not uncommon for 6-8ft waves blowing up here if the wind is from the south west. You will be traveling up the eastern side of the lake, so there are 2 marinas to stop at for fuel. Lagoon City is just north of the entrance to the lake and is a full service Marina. My old Marina, Starport is just before Orillia on the east side, McPhee Bay. It's also a 5 star full service Marina. Now, that being said - if you want you refuel - the cheapest gas on the entire system is just south of the large highway 12 bridge in the east side. You will see a large sign with the price of their fuel and advertising boat rentals. The gas here is typically 10-15 cents cheaper per liter than anywhere else. I used to call this guy ahead and pull my 41 C in here and take 2000 liters. It used to piss off the small boaters because I would sit there for 90 minutes fueling up.
Under the highway bridge takes you from Lake Simcoe to Lake Couchiching and into Orillia.
The Orillia Town Dock is an absolute must see/stay. It's a large public Marina with 30/50A service and free wifi. The dock staff here are super friendly. There is so much to do here. The town is accessible by walking, lots of places to eat, and has a fantastic downtown. The Mariposa Market is on the main street and is a great place for lunch.
Leaving the town dock and continuing to travel north, it's all about sight seeing. Cottages, wildlife etc. if you are planning on anchoring out for the night AND ITS A WEEKDAY, you can pull into the north cove on Big Chief Island. Completely sheltered from all but north winds, it offers warm water, sand bottom and a gorgeous sand beach. If it's a weekend - forget it, keep cruising. It's filled with gofast boats, drunk teenagers and loud music. As you exit the lake and enter the Trent System again, watch your time. There is a railway bridge that closes 30 after the lock closing. If you get here after that, turn around as you can't get under it. The next lock is standard fare, lock 42. Lots of room to tie up here for the night, but if that's your plan - tie up at the bottom, it's much more peaceful. Once out of the lock - again, watch your time. There is another swing bridge with the same rules, 30 min after lock closing. You won't fit under this one either.
Lock 43, Swift Rapids is the tallest conventional lift lock in the world. It actually has a control tower at the top, very cool to see. If you are planning on staying the night here, and if there is room - stay at the top, there is a fire pit and beautiful scenery.
Coming out the bottom of lock 43, you will turn and twist through the system and eventually come across the family owned Waubic Restaurant. It's only accessible by water and is fantastic. You need to call ahead to book a spot here, you can stay overnight and it's very reasonable. It's one of the busiest places on the system.
Big Chute Marine Railway, is lock 44, and has almost celebrity status. It still amazes me to this day that you drive your boat into a railway car that takes you out of the water, carries you over a highway and down the side of a cliff. I suggest that you tie up along the wall here first, exit your boat and go for a war with your camera and see it in action. If you are doing this, make sure you tie up away from the blue line as it indicates to the train crew that you want to travel over the railway. You can also tie up at the bottom if you like and go for a walk from there.
The bottom of Big Chute is Gloucester Pool, huge super expensive cottages throughout from here until the next lock. As you exit the railway, you are going to need to call on 16 another safety call as you did previous in the ditch. The Little Chute as it's known, is a man made, fast flowing cut about 1nm from a Big Chute. Again, only one "big boat" will fit thru at a time. I always hail as soon as I exit the railway announcing that I will be in Little Chute in 10 minutes, and then hail again as I make my turn into it. The current here has to be 8-10kts, markers lying on their sides - no room for error.
When you exit the Little Chute, you can swing north once the Pool opens up again and head over to Whites Falls. It's a man made waterfall in a sheltered little bay. The water here is warm, and it has a great mud holding bottom in about 30 feet of water. You can dingy ashore and walk in the falls, it's a popular attraction.
Heading back towards lock 45, again the cottages are spectacular. It is not uncommon to see 10,000sq ft mansion sized cottages. As you approach lock 45, you are in the small twon of Port Severn. There is a liquor store, 2 general stores (one has a fantastic butcher), an ice cream barge (converted steam boat), and the Dam Grill. This grill is our favorite "watering hole", great food and staff. It was an old abandoned Marina, and rumor has it that one of the locals won the lottery and converted into a roadhouse style restaurant with an "over the water" patio. Very busy, they generally have a 30 minute wait for a table. Also, another attraction here is the Rawley Resort. This is a 5 star hotel/restaurant and a small Marina. The Marina will hold up to a 60ft boat, but is generally overnighters. There are no full time occupants in the Marina here.
Lock 45 is a great place to overnight as well, because of the close proximity to all of the things I pointed out in the previous paragraph.
Now, Lock 45 is a scourge to humanity. First, at the bottom, the markers switch sides as upstream becomes downstream. Second, the current from the dam is 6-8kts away from the lock at the bottom. Third, and my favorite - the markers under the Highway 400 bridge offer a route that is only 18ft wide. So, if you have a 14ft wide boat, you have 2 feet on either side of safe water. AND THE ROUTE TURNS UNDER THE BRIDGE.
As for spots to see in Georgian Bay, there are so many. Beckwith Island is a must. North Channel, Tobermory, Frying Pan Bay - great place to anchor for a few days and relax. As far as anchorages go, there are more than one could count in Georgian Bay.
UPDATED - BUY A DOCK LINKS MEMBERSHIP CARD, YOU CAN STAY AT DOCK LINKS BRANDED MARINAS ALONG THE ROUTE FROM LAKE ONTARIO TO GBAY FOR 50% OFF POSTED TRANSIENT RATES AND GET FUEL DISCOUNTS ALONG THE WAY.
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